Mil Mi-4 (Hound)

History

After the end of World War II (1939-1945), in order to keep up with the pace of development in the West, the Soviet Union invested heavily in the field of rotorcraft, which made the Mir Moscow Helicopter Plant play an important role in the production of high-performance helicopters. military and civilian market services. The product line also includes the "Mi 4", which first flew on June 3, 1952, and was put into service the following year, achieving production of more than 4,000 aircraft, including the Chinese Z-5 Cold War era completed in Harbin.

The Mi-4 is now out of service (2020) and no longer in front-line service.

In the West, the Mi-4 is known as the "Hound" and the United States Air Force (USAF) refers to it as the "Type 36". For the Soviet Army, it proved helpful in laying the groundwork for a future effective rotorcraft fleet, which was eventually replaced by such models, serving the same role as the more powerful Mi-8 ("Hip").

The origins of the Mi-4 can be traced back to the dark days of the Korean War (1950-1953), a testament to the helicopter's place on the modern battlefield. For the U.S.

Air Force, this has led to various programs in the post-World War II era bringing classic designs online, such as the globally successful Sikorsky H-19 "Chickasaw" - a multi-mission executive of 1,728 completed was (and developed into "H-34") used worldwide.

In true Soviet style, the Mi-4 certainly adopted the American design appearance and general configuration, with a raised side-by-side cockpit and a rounded short nose cone atop a very deep fuselage. At the top, a three-blade main rotor is located on a short mast, while a three-blade tail rotor is located stern to starboard. Inside, the helicopter can carry 16 combat-ready troops or up to 3,530 pounds of cargo in addition to its two crew members.

The kerb weight is 11,245 pounds and the MTOW is 16,645 pounds. The car sits on a unique four-legged wheeled chassis (again similar to the H-19).

Like the American H-19, power came from a single air-cooled radial piston engine in the form of a Shvetsov ASh-82V 14-cylinder 1,680 hp engine that powered the main and tail rotors. Top speed hits 115 mph, while range is 310 miles and service is capped at 18,000 feet.

Compared to its American counterpart, the Mi-4 flies faster, higher, and has a limited range.

Like the H-19, the Mi-4 has had success on the world stage with various operators from Afghanistan and Albania, Vietnam and Yugoslavia. The Indian Air Force relied heavily on it in the 1960s and 1970s, especially in their operations against neighboring Pakistan.

The machine's inherent flexibility is remarkable, as it can be used in transport and combat helicopter roles as needed. The last front-line troops served Albania until the mid-2000s, and the line's variants were numerous.

The prototype was designated the V-12 and the first production model became the Mi-4 (NATO "Hound-A"). The Mi-4A is a specially configured attack transport model, followed by the Mi-4AV armed platform supporting missiles, bombs and incendiary devices.

About 185 samples were converted to this standard - see the list of variants for a full demonstration.

Notable designs include anti-submarine warfare (ASW), VIP, search and rescue (SAR), medical evacuation (MEDEVAC), firefighting and agricultural role types.

Chinese industry produced the Z-5 form and also developed the discontinued Z-6 and its proposed turbine engine. In the civilian market, the Z-5 became the "Xuanfeng".

Specification

Basic

Production

Roles

Dimensions

Weight

Performance

Performance

Armor

Changes